Why should I become part of the Baltimore City Teaching Residency?
 What kind of background do I need?
 How do I apply?
 What happens after I apply?
 What college coursework do I need?
 How long is this commitment?
 How much will I be paid?
 Are there any preparatory exams that I should take?
 Will I be paid over the summer?
 Will I receive certification?
 Where will I teach?
 Will I be teaching with other program participants at my school?
 What is the application deadline?
 When does the program actually begin?
 Do I need to be a resident of the City of Baltimore to apply?
 Can I defer acceptance into the program?
 Are certified teachers eligible for the program?

Why should I become part of the Baltimore City Teaching Residency?

· Use your knowledge and experience to ensure that every child in the Baltimore City Public School System has access to a high quality education.

· Become part of a movement that has a direct and immediate impact on the lives of students in our city.

· As a teacher, you can be the single most important factor in raising student achievement.

· You will join a network of like-minded professionals dedicated to improving public schools.

· This is your opportunity to take action.

What kind of background do I need?

The Baltimore City Teaching Residency is designed for individuals without a background in education or previous education coursework. It is a highly selective program that is looking for recent college graduates and mid-career professionals who can demonstrate leadership and achievement.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75 in coursework related to the content area in which they wish to teach as well as an overall cumulative GPA of 2.8. Official transcripts will be required if accepted into the Residency.

Applicants must pass all portions of the Praxis I (or receive the required composite score) and the content portion of Praxis II before beginning the Training Institute. Praxis scores are not required in order to apply to the program.

Applicants must be eligible to teach in United States.

Applicants may not have a felony record.

No current teachers in the Baltimore City Public School System are eligible to apply.

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How do I apply?

To apply online, please visit our online application page to complete and submit the required materials.

The application process includes application questions and a professional resume.

The application questions should be answered in 200 – 400 words in length, addressing the following three questions.

• Nearly all Residents are placed in 'high-need' schools that are located in low-income communities. Why do you want to teach in a high-need school?    

 

• The most important responsibility of a teacher is to ensure high academic achievement for all students. Describe a skill or ability that will help you fulfill this responsibility and provide an example of how you have effectively demonstrated this skill or ability in the past. 

 

• Resident Teachers will face new and significant challenges during their first year of teaching.  Describe a professional, personal or academic challenge you have overcome, and how that experience will contribute to your success as a Resident Teacher
  

This responses provide us with information not captured elsewhere in the application. We use the personal statement to evaluate your writing and critical thinking skills, and more importantly, to gain a sense of your commitment to teaching students in the Baltimore City Public School System.

Please do not send generic cover letters

If selected for an interview, candidates will be required to bring a transcript, official or unofficial, from every college and university attended (including high school programs that grant college credit and AP courses) as part of their interview materials.   Please do not send or fax transcripts to the BCTR.

Upon acceptance to the program, Residents will need to provide official transcripts, indicating their degree has been conferred, from every college and university attended.  Acceptance will be contingent upon receipt of transcripts.

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What happens after I apply?
Once candidates apply, all complete applications go through an initial review. Outstanding candidates are invited to participate in a Baltimore City Teaching Residency interview day, which includes a sample teaching lesson, a group discussion of relevant issues in education, a writing sample, and a one-on-one interview.

Candidates are contacted regarding their application status within two weeks of the application deadline.

Participants selected for the program will be trained at a comprehensive Institute during the summer. Participants are also given access to an established support network to help ensure their success in the classroom.

What college coursework do I need?
Participants who desire placement in secondary schools must have the equivalent of a major degree or 30 credits in the subject area in which they would like to teach.

Participants who desire placement in elementary schools must have 6 credits in science, 6 credits in math, 6 credits in social studies, 6 credits in English, and an additional 12 credits in any combination of the above content areas.

Participants should have a 2.75 GPA in coursework directly related to the content area in which they wish to teach.

How long is this commitment?
We hope that Residents will make a lifetime commitment to public education in the Baltimore City Public School System. However, the Residency is designed as a two-year program that includes a full-time teaching salary, intensive training, and ongoing support. Participants are required to become certified through the Baltimore City Teaching Residency and by completing literacy coursework through our partner universities. The BCPSS will cover 50% - 75% of the tuition costs associated with certification. After the two year Residency, participants will retain their status as full-time employees of the School System and are considered fully prepared to continue their careers with BCPSS.

How much will I be paid?

Salary
Participants in the Baltimore City Teaching Residency receive the same starting salary as other first year teachers in the Baltimore City Public School System. Depending on experience, relevant coursework, and content area, starting salaries range from $43,096-$51,578.

Summer Stipend
While the summer stipend has not been set as of this date, teachers were paid $100 per day of the Institute, for a total of $2,000, last year.

Tuition Reimbursement
BCPSS will reimburse 50%-75% of coursework leading toward certification and/or a Master's degree in a relevant content area. Please be aware that by accepting the tuition support, candidates agree to teach for two years after the last semester that they receive tuition support.

Student Loan Repayment
Baltimore, Maryland is an urban school system with a critical need for teachers; therefore, our educators may qualify for certain loan forgiveness programs. For example, each year of satisfactory performance results in a percentage of forgiveness of the following loans: Perkins, Stafford, and Eisenhower. All candidates should check with their lenders to ensure participation.

Homeowner Assistance
Many programs exist to assist BCPSS employees with the purchase of a new home. For a complete list of city home buying programs, please visit www.livebaltimore.com

Are there any preparatory exams I should take?
All Residents must pass the Praxis I and the content portion of Praxis II before they can begin teaching. Although applicants do not have to take the tests prior to applying to BCTR, we strongly recommend registering for the tests through Educational Testing Services as soon as possible. Final placement cannot occur until the necessary tests are passed. For more information about the Praxis Exams, please visit: www.ets.org/praxis/prxmd.html

Will I be paid over the summer?
Last year, program participants received a $100 per day stipend for attending BCPSS' New Teacher Training and Orientation. Participants who attended every day of the training received a total stipend of $2,500. An exact amount for next year has not yet been determined.

Participants will go on the district payroll beginning in the last week in August.

Will I receive certification?
Candidates accepted into the Baltimore City Teaching Residency will be granted a Resident Teacher Certificate (RTC) by the Maryland State Department of Education.

The RTC was created to allow outstanding individuals with no previous education coursework the opportunity to teach while taking between nine and twelve graduate-level education credits to achieve a Standard Professional Teaching Certificate.

Resident Teachers will enroll in Content Seminars through the Maryland Practitioner Teacher Program and literacy coursework by our university partners to complete the requirements for Maryland Certification.

Assuming all coursework has been completed, and Residents have passed the Praxis II Pedagogy exam, all members of the Residency will receive a Standard Professional Teaching Certificate at the end of their second year of teaching.

Where will I teach?
Residents will be placed in schools all across the city, at every grade level.

BCTR will work to cluster small groups of Residents at the same school to provide additional school-based support. School, grade, and subject level determinations will be based on the qualifications of each Resident and on the needs of the district, taking into account the preference of the Resident whenever possible.

Will I be teaching with other program participants at my school?
We will work to ensure that program participants are clustered with other participants in the same school. However, because school placements occur after participants are selected for the program, individuals may not know their specific teaching assignments prior to accepting our offer into the Residency.

What is the application deadline?
Applications for the Winter 2009 Program will be accepted through July 21, 2008. Applicants will be informed of their interview status within two weeks from the application deadline they meet. All applications must include a personal statement, professional resume, and complete application form. Applicants will be required to bring copies of transcripts at the interview day. If selected for an interview, candidates will be notified of their selection status within two weeks of their interview date.

When does the program actually begin?
The Winter 2009 Program will begin with training in January of 2009; the Summer 2009 Program will begin with training in June/July of 2009.

Do I need to be a resident of the City of Baltimore to apply?
No. You do not need to be a resident of the City of Baltimore to apply.

Can I defer acceptance into the program?
No. Once accepted, you may not defer acceptance into the Residency.  Deferrals may be granted for our 2009 Winter Program to our 2009 Summer Program if a secure position for your assigned content area cannot be found by mid-November 2008. 

Are certified teachers eligible for the program?
Certified teachers are not eligible to apply to the Baltimore City Teaching Residency. This program is designed specifically for outstanding mid-career professionals committed to improving the quality of education offered to students in the Baltimore City Public School System. Residents will be required to earn a teaching certificate while assuming full-time teaching responsibilities.

Certified teachers are encouraged to visit www.bcps.k12.md.us to learn more about teaching positions within BCPSS.